How we can restore civil debate by understanding our own biases

Surveys and polls are showing that people are concerned that incivility is rising greatly. That has an effect on Americans' politics and ability to sustain democracy.
David Plazas / Tennessean (Wochit)

With the 2018 election concluded (thankfully), maybe we can get back to a normal life without political banter and negative campaigning. Until, that is, the next news story reveals something about immigration, race, sexual orientation, birthright citizenship, mass murder or other issues that raise our dander.

Why do people get upset and at times display uncivil behavior? Fifty percent of our being is DNA-related; I trust you selected good parents. The other 50 percent is nurture-oriented; you were raised in a good-to-great family, neighborhood, school district and associated only with the best people, correct? Everything we’ve been exposed to since birth is lodged in our brain.

Past experiences form our attitudes, values, beliefs and behavior, which for some manifests in radical extremes such as killing 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue, child and spousal abuse, ignoring refugees seeking asylum, supporting white supremacy and spewing hate.

Social psychologists note that everyone has an unconscious bias. For example, what goes through your mind when you observe a non-English-speaking person, an individual whose gender you can’t decipher, a shabbily dressed person holding a “Homeless: Need food” sign or a woman dressed with a black veil covering her face?

With today’s unparalleled divisiveness, it may be time to get an honest assessment of our biases so we can consciously take steps to acknowledge who we are, identify blind spots and shortcomings, ponder actions to overcome biases and attempt to transform into more mature, accepting, tolerant and civil people.

Ponder this Aug. 3 job posting from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., inviting applications for the position of Assistant Coach of Nordic Skiing: “Our expectation is that the successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation and religion.”

Assuming you are a qualified Nordic skiing coach, how well would you excel at the seven identified areas?

Do you have a problem working with individuals from a certain race? Can you work with people of a different ethnicity? Can you work equally well with individuals from a different socioeconomic station in life? Do you hold any biases toward a particular gender? Can you successfully interact with people who are of a different nationality? Are you accepting of transgender, gay and lesbian people or people who question their sexual orientation? And, finally, of the 4,200 religions in the world, is your chosen belief the only acceptable one or are you non-judgmental of others' belief systems?

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Research is replete that the most emotionally mature adults are those who seek internal peace, are principled, possess a spirit of humility, know their weaknesses and are accepting of other people’s attributes.

Overcoming biases is becoming more important, especially when up to 100 languages are spoken in many school districts, when citizens of Hispanic descent are America’s largest minority group (17.8%), when 4.5% of Americans are LGBTQ, when religious beliefs range from the most orthodox to atheist, when political ideologies clash and when common American values can no longer be defined.

The only way in which the United States will become a better place to live is for everyone to reflect on issues that divide us and overcome our biases so civility can once again remain steadfast.

Steve Corbin is professor emeritus of marketing at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Email: Steven.B.Corbin@gmail.com